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Planning a wedding can be stressful enough, and worrying about how it will all look on camera can add another worry to your big day. However, if you work with a photographer you trust, make your big decisions carefully, and work to take natural and fun posed and candid photos, then your wedding will be both gorgeous in person and in the photo album. The most important thing you can do to have a photogenic wedding is to relax on the big day so that your pictures look fun and carefree.

Get a photographer you trust. Some people will say that the photographer is the most important vendor at your wedding. While the food, music, and venue may be forgotten, those photos of your big day will last forever, so you want to make sure you get it right. That said, wedding photographers typically charge between $100-300 an hour, so you should work on making room for a professional in your budget if it’s important to you. Here are some things keep in mind when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer:

If you don’t have a huge budget, see if you can find a photographer who is still finding his footing to do it for free. These photographers will offer to take your photos for free because they’re looking to improve their portfolios. Just make sure it’s someone you can trust.

You can also ask a trusted friend or family member who is a skilled photographer to do it for you. Just make sure this person is okay with missing out on the festivities, though.

Check out photographers in your area to see their portfolios to get an idea of what kind of pictures will suit you. Some like to take more funny, coordinated, or posed photos while others stick to a more traditional style.

Start looking 6-8 months in advance at the latest. Photographers get booked up fast, so before you ask them any more questions, see if they’re even available on your wedding date.

Some photographers will let you meet for a trial session; this can give you a better idea of what the photos will look like.

See if the photographer works with partners or a partner. If it’s important for you to get shots of the venue, guests, and ceremony from multiple angles at the same time, then you may need to hire someone who comes with a team. This may be pricier, but you’ll get more of a range of photos.

Take engagement photos as practice. Once you find your photographer, you should take some engagement photos with your spouse-to-be to practice posing, taking pictures, and making memories together. Many photographers offer engagement photos as part of their package, or offer them at a smaller extra charge; even if you think this is corny or not for you, it’ll be a great way to practice getting ready to be photogenic on the big day.

Take your engagement photos several months in advance, so you and your spouse have plenty of time on your hands.

Look over the photos carefully, and see if there are poses you’d like to repeat on the big day, if there are certain angles that are more flattering for you, or if you get a better idea of how to wear your hair for the big day.

Discuss posed photos with the photographer in advance. Whether you’re taking tons of photos with your family, just taking pictures with your spouse, or have intricate plans for photos with your bridal party, it’s important to talk it out with the photographer in advance so you know what to expect on the big day. Your wedding day may be a bit overwhelming, and it may be hard to remember exactly what you wanted when you’re on an adrenalin high and feeling like you’re running out of time. Here are some things to consider:

Make sure your photographer knows who will be in all the posed photos. If you want photos of just you and your siblings, or just you and your spouse’s family, make sure you make this clear so you don’t realize you forgot when it’s too late.

If you have funny, cute, or clever ideas of things to do with your bridal party, such as having all the groomsmen lift the bride, or having all the bridesmaids pointing at the groom, make sure you talk about it in advance so you don’t waste time coming up with poses on the big day.

Plan your getting ready photos. Many women also like to have the photographer take photos of them getting ready. If you want to do this, then you have to have a plan for exactly what you want to be captured on camera. This can be the bride in her robe, the bride getting her hair and makeup done, an image of the bride’s shoes or dress hanging on a pretty hanger, a picture of the bride and groom’s rings, and so on. Let the photographer know what you want and make sure you have everything ready for the big day.

The bride will probably have her bridesmaids in the getting ready photos, too. She should make sure they know what to wear; if she has coordinated outfits for them for this day or wants them to wear the shirts from the bachelorette party, then she should let them know.

Make sure that you save plenty of time for the getting ready photos. Getting ready takes a lot longer than you think, and you want to make sure you actually have time to pose for the camera.

This may be the most nervous the bride feels all day, so it’s important to have everything figured out in advance so the shots can be as photogenic as possible.

You should also decide whether you want your photographer riding to the ceremony location with you. This can make for even more photogenic opportunities, as you await your spouse.

Make sure a few friends are taking candid photos, too. Of course, your wedding photographer, whether it’s a professional or a close friend with skills, will be responsible for many of the photos at your wedding. However, it can make things more interesting to have friends taking photos with their iPhones, or having your uncle who loves taking pictures to take a few pictures during the reception, too. This can give you more angles into the party and can make for even more photogenic memories.

You can even be cute about it and leave a disposable camera at every table for your guests to play around with. Though you may mostly get selfies of your tipsy guests, you may find a few gems in there, too.

After your wedding, you can email your guests and ask them to upload their photos to a Dropbox or a wedding website, so you can see all of the photos in one place.

Have appropriate lighting. Lighting is crucial for taking the most photogenic pictures possible. Make sure your venue has pretty soft lighting instead of bright, garish lights, and try to make the most of the sun if you’re taking photos outdoors. If your wedding is outdoors, try to plan it for later in the day, so all of the guests aren’t squinting into the sun in their photos. Take advantage of natural light as much as you can and leave as many windows open as possible so the light can fall in easily.

Talk to your photographer about the best lighting, too. He will have ideas about how to take advantage of it.

Have soft candles, lanterns, a fireplace, or any other cute forms of light at your wedding. You can even put little candles in glass jars or use the little fake candles if the venue does not allow them.

Pick a photogenic venue. Your venue will play a big role in how photogenic your wedding is. If you’re getting married in a conference hall, then you should dress it up with soft lights and other decorations that make the most of it. If your venue is outdoors, then this can add flavor and brightness to your wedding photos, as long as the weather cooperates. When you’re choosing a venue, the photogenic value should be one of the things you’re looking for.

High ceilings make a difference, too. A venue with low ceilings can make your photos a bit crowded and cramped.

Consider your expected guest count when you choose a venue, too. Though around 10-20% of your guests may not be able to make it, especially if you’re inviting a lot of people from out of town, try not to pick a venue that is barely large enough for the number of guests you expect to invite. Otherwise, your photos may look a bit busy, and it may be harder to isolate the bridge and the groom in some pictures.

Picking an outdoor venue that can give you a view of the sun setting is a big plus, too. If you pick a venue with a nice skyline or wooded background outside of it, then more guests will want to pose for photos, and the photographer can swoop in.

Consider the photogenic value of your food, too. Pick food that will look great on camera and opt for bright salads, colorful desserts, and main courses that don’t look bland or drab on camera.

Create photogenic table settings. Make sure that your table settings are photo-friendly in advance. In general, try not to make everything all one color, like having white tablecloths, white napkins, white chairs, and so on. This may make everything blur together too much. Instead, pick a nice bright or royal color for your tablecloths and make sure that they match the flowers or the centerpieces that you choose for your tables. Make sure that the tables aren’t too busy, either, with name cards or party favors that are too large along with everything else. You want the tables to help the wedding look even more photogenic.

Big floral centerpieces are popular, but try not to get ones that block the view of the guests or keep them from seeing or enjoying the party. You want your photographer to catch their expressions, not the flowers that are blocking half of their faces.

Have a hair and makeup trial for the bride. Many brides choose to have a hair and makeup trial before the big day so they can know what their look will be like and can make adjustments if they don’t like anything. This can help the bride get more comfortable in her more made-up look, learn how to move her hair, and can give her a sense of how to pose for photographs with this new look as well. Though some salons charge extra for this service, it may be worth it if you want to have the most photogenic wedding out there.

The bride should pick a hair and makeup stylist who is willing to listen and to do what she wants, instead of imposing his or her own ideas on her.

Many brides are scared off by the amount of makeup they wear on the big day. While they may not want to look too made up and prefer a natural look, it’s important to have a bit more makeup than normal so that they come out striking in photographs.

Though brides may not typically wear foundation or concealer, it’s important to wear a bit more of this makeup so their faces aren’t shiny in photos.

Choose your wedding colors wisely. Your wedding colors will have an impact on how photogenic your wedding is. Pick tasteful colors that you won’t be sick of ten years from now when you look through those wedding photo albums. While you can chose pink, purple, or any color you want, make sure that it looks nice in the table settings, as part of the bridesmaids’ outfits, and in any other part of the venue where you choose to display the colors.

Some people make a bigger deal out of wedding colors than others. There won’t be anyone forcing you to make the bridal party match or to have matching tablecloths and name cards. In the end, it’s up to you.

Pick colors that are lively and vibrant, such as teal, light green, yellow, or a muted violet. If you pick black, red, or darker colors, then the wedding may look too formal and severe.

Consider your seating arrangements carefully. You may not think it matters who sits closest to the front or center of the room, but these people will end up being in more of your photographs. Their reactions will be more prominent during your first dance, your best man’s speech, and overall pictures of the dance floor, so you should think about which guests will make the wedding the most photogenic. This doesn’t mean you should put your prettiest friends in the line of fire, but rather, the ones who will have the most honest, emotional reactions to your wedding.

If you’re really serious about this, then you can place name cards on individual seats, instead of letting the guests choose their own seats at a certain table.

Practice your smile. If you want to have the most photogenic wedding, then you should practice smiling in advance. This can help you have the most natural smile on the big day, decide whether you want to use teeth or no teeth, and to position your face with your chin slightly down instead of up to avoid a double chin. It can just make the big day feel more natural and fun for you.

You don’t have to only smile one way. You can have a big toothy smile, or a more subtle smile, and mix it up as you see fit.

Relax for candid photos. When it comes to your big day, you may not feel like you can be very relaxed, but you’ll have to do your best to sit back and enjoy the ride if you want to have the most photogenic photos out there. If you know the photographer is taking pictures of you, try not to get self-conscious and to live in the moment, making sure to laugh, talk to your guests, dance, and have the best night of your life. Remind yourself that not every photo has to be perfect and since you’ll have so many photos to choose from, you can just relax and know that your best self will be captured.

If you try too hard to grab your new spouse and look like you’re having the time of your life, it’ll look staged.

Instead, try to get the idea of your photographer out of your head. Pretend like you’re just having the time of your life at another friend’s wedding.

Make your posed photos not feel too forced. When you do take your posed photos, try to act as natural as you can with them. You don’t have to look overly eager or happy, but just work on looking like yourself. If you’re taking a silly pose, then have fun with it, and don’t feel the need to look all serious and married-like all the time. This is your day, and if you look like you’re having a good time, it’ll come through in the photos. If you try too hard with the posed photos, they’ll feel forced.

Make sure to pick poses you’re comfortable with so you don’t look too obviously out of your element. If you think the romantic photos are too mushy and not you at all, then say something.

Decide whether or not you want to have a first look. The first look is when the bride and groom, dressed in their wedding gear, take photos with each other before they say their “I do”s. This typically happens shortly before the ceremony and it gives the bride and groom time to see each other, to be relatively alone, and to have time for pictures before the guests arrive. This can help you take more photogenic photos because you won’t be taking these photos during the cocktail hour instead, rushing to get back to your guests, and you’ll also naturally be overwhelmed with emotion when you see your future spouse all dressed up.

Some people who are more traditional are opposed to their first look because they want to see their spouse for the first time when they’re on the altar. This can certainly make for a more emotional moment, but it may not lead to as many photogenic memories.

Leave more time for posed photos than you think you need. You may think that you only need 30 minutes for posed photos, but you should make more time for them just in case. You never know what can happen, like if one of the bridesmaids forgot her shoes at the hotel, or your hair took an hour longer than expected, and you need to account for any wiggle room to make sure you get all of the photos you want. If you only stick to a very short time frame, then you may be rushing through the photos and you won’t have as much time as you want to make the wedding as photogenic as possible.

If you’re taking posed photos before the wedding, make sure your family, bridal party members, or anyone else who has to be there is there at least 15 minutes in advance. You don’t want to lose time because you’re waiting on a tardy groomsman.

Keep a “to take” list with you, just in case. You don’t want to leave your wedding realizing you never took a photo with all of your friends from your sorority or high school. You may be too overwhelmed to remember which photo combos you want on the big day, so you should tell your photographer if you want to take any group photos during the actual wedding so that he keeps you in line. You can also keep a private list for yourself to glance at, just to make sure you have a photo with each of your best friends, with your cousins, or with your grandfather.

This can make your wedding as photogenic as possible because you’ll have photos with all of the combinations of people you want to be with.

Ask people to unplug during your ceremony. Though you may think it’s tacky, a lot of people are starting to ask their wedding guests to turn off their cell phones or to put away their cameras during the ceremony. This is because you don’t want your photographer to have photos of thirty people in the front row, acting like paparazzi while you’re trying to say your vows. Your officiant can even give people a minute to take pictures before moving the ceremony along. If you want those ceremony to be as gorgeous as possible, then you should minimize the number of amateur photographers there.

You should also decide how close you want the photographer to get during the ceremony. Having him a little further away may make the ceremony look and feel a bit more intimate.

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 3,847 times.